Speaking before her session with Professor Hughes, which will be detailed in the documentary Am I A Murderer?, Janet said: "I’m absolutely certain my memories are true. I’ve no doubt whatsoever. But we’ll see what the expert has to say… I know that’s a possibility that you can have false memories, but I don’t believe that these are.”

In 1976, residents in New Mills were shocked by the sudden disappearance of farmer Fred Hanford. Police carried out a missing person investigation but he was never found, and officers later concluded that he had committed suicide.

Farmer Fred Handford. Photo - Raw Cut/ITV

But in November 2011, Fred's business partner at Ball Beard Farm, Janet Holt called police and confessed to murdering him. Her claims came after she was treated by a psychotherapist after being plagued by recurring nightmares.

She told detectives that she had been raped by Fred, and concerned that he was do it again, she shot him at point blank range and dumped his body in a shallow grave.

She said: "I thought he was going to do it again. And he had a shotgun and it was leaned against the wall in the corner where I was sat.

"So I picked it up and I pointed it at home and I pulled the trigger. I shot him."

Former duty detective inspector Shaun McElheron realised that there could be something in Janet's claims after she was interviewed by his officers.

He said: “As the evening progressed, the more I got back from the officers, the more I thought there could well be something in this or certainly Janet knows a lot about the case that not many people would have known.”

Police excavated part of the field where Janet claimed to have put Fred’s body - but found nothing.

“If he'd committed suicide, surely some remains would have been discovered at some point because I don't really think it's your priority when your committing suicide to hide your body. So, unless you're in some really obscure place I can't see how a body can be hidden.”

Am I A Murderer? will be screened on ITV at 9pm on Wednesday October 10.

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